His most successful series, and the one I prefer, features Jimmy Flannery, a Democratic committeman in Chicago's twenty-seventh ward. I like the voice in these books, and of course I especially liked Hip Deep in Alligators, which has sewer gators and won the Anthony for Best Paperback in 1987 when I won for Best First Novel. Pardon me while I digress. When I picked up my award, I noticed that they'd given me the wrong one. I had Campbell's award, and I assumed he'd been given mine. I went over to him, he checked, and sure enough, he had mine. We traded, and I asked him if his title for his winning book had been the original one. He grinned and said that it hadn't, but the publisher wouldn't go for the title he'd given it, the line that you're probably familiar with.
Campbell's series about railroad detective Jack Hatch wasn't nearly as successful as the one about Flannery. In fact, since there are only two books about Hatch, is it really a series? One of my college profs told the class that it took three trees to make a row, but maybe a series is different.
I think the problem with the Hatch series is the voice. Jake is a good enough first person narrator, but he just doesn't have the snap that would set him apart. However, the setting is good, what with Hatch working for the Burlington Northern. The setting is contemporary (1980s), with Amtrak and all, so the railroad stuff is interesting.
The plot's interesting, too. Hatch is on a train that makes an emergency stop when someone pulls the cord. An search reveals the torso of a man who's apparently been cut in half by the train. A lower torso is also found. [BIG SPOILER ALERT] The torsos don't match up. The lower torso belongs to a woman. [END OF BIG SPOILER ALERT]
Hatch is a curious guy, and he's determined to find out what happened. He travels up and down the line, which he enjoys because he has a widowed friend in every town, and unravels a plot that involves gypsies, the CIA, the FBI, and espionage in addition to murder. The plugged nickel of the title is a major clue.
Not a bad little book, just nothing really special. The followup was The Red Cent, which I haven't read. Maybe someday I will.
16 comments:
I agree with you on the Jimmy Flannery books. I read one of his Whistler titles too, but not this series.
Jeff
Robert Campbell was a terrific writer. I've read most of his books including this one and recommend them. But, sadly, Campbell seems to be forgotten. Some of his best work was in the "La-La Land" series.
Of course, the (WARNING) two separate body halves from two different people was also the premise of Season 1 of THE BRIDGE.
(END WARNING)
Jeff
George, I read the La-La Land books, too, and they're much different (and much darker) from the Hatch and Flannery books.
Jeff, those TV folks are always cribbing from the greats.
I like the La-La Land books too. I haven't read this series. I met Campbell at Left Coast Crime in Anaheim, my first mystery convention. He came up to me while I was sitting in the hotel lobby, sat down and struck up a conversation. I was thrilled. Very nice guy. Too bad his books are forgotten today. I wonder if he's still writing?
The only time I met him was at that Anthony presentation in Minneapolis. I wish I'd had more time to talk to him. He's not writing now because he passed away a few years ago, I'm sorry to say.
I read both of the Jake Hatch books. They're not bad, but I think you're right about the voice. I can only describe it as James Garner, only a little bit off.
Yean, and it's that little bit off that gets me.
I've only read one Robert Campbell—grabbed randomly off the paperback carousel at the library because I thought the title was amusing—but I remember it being a fun read. Wouldn't mind trying something else, and torsos sound promising.
Sounds like you might have read a Flannery book. Those are a lot more fun than this one.
I knew Bob pretty well during the last decade or so of his life (he passed away in 2000). I'd interviewed him a couple times for various publications, and we stayed in touch afterward (he was an N.J. native as well). There was supposed to be a third Jake Hatch, THIN DIME, but it was abandoned after the first two in the series didn't do as well as hoped. He was a great guy, and full of terrific Hollywood stories about working for Roger Corman, etc.
This was the L.A. Times obit: http://articles.latimes.com/2000/oct/01/local/me-29799
Thanks for the link. I really enjoyed his books and wish I'd have more time to talk to him that night in Minneapolis.
He got an Oscar screenplay nom for writing the Lon Chaney Sr. bio MAN OF A THOUSAND FACES. He told me they had a private screening of the film for some studio execs and Lon Chaney Jr. He said when the film was over, Chaney Jr. came over to where he and the producer were sitting and said "You really whitewashed that son of a bitch, didn't you?"
Great story. I see in the obit that he was the brother of William Campbell. I didn't know that.
In CELL 2455, DEATH ROW - based on Caryl Chessman's book - Bob played a younger version (in flashbacks) of the lead character, who was played by his brother. Bob acted in about half a dozen films, mostly for Corman, including Corman's directorial debut FIVE GUNS WEST.
Didn't know that, either. He was quite a guy.
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